1. I write
because…
It’s fun.
Pure and simple. And I just love to tell stories. Nothing more, nothing less.
2. If I were
your favorite cookie, what would I be?
Very tough
question. It’s a toss-up between peanut butter with chocolate chips (which is
the BEST combination ever) and oatmeal raisin. But I think I’d have to go with
peanut butter and chocolate chips.
3. Plotter
or pantster?
I do both,
actually. My first novel, Sunrise,
was written completely by the seat of my pants. I had no pre-conceived ideas
where I was headed with that story. I just wrote. However, its sequel and another
work in progress are very much plotted out in detail. It just depends on what
strikes me with each particular story. Neither is more effective than the
other. You just have to go with whichever feels the most comfortable and allows
you to be creative.
4. What is
your favorite type of character to write about and why?
Definitely
the antagonist. With a protagonist, there’s always the expectation that they
conform to some degree or another to a universal sense of goodness and
morality. You can give those characters some flaws, but at the end of the day
they’ve got remain on the positive side of the ledger. With villains I’ve found
more freedom to be complex and multi-dimensional.
5.
Hamburgers or sushi?
Nothing
against sushi, because I’ve been to Japan twice and have had the real deal, but
there’s nothing better than a great burger.
6. Name
three things on your desk.
Paper,
paper, and more paper. I’m a clutterbug.
7. What
books have influenced your writing style?
Dean Koontz
and Ted Dekker. They’re the kings of character development, pacing, and crisp
dialogue.
8. Tell us a
little about your book.
It’s a
paranormal romance in which an 18-year old high school kid survives a mass
tragedy only to learn that it was an orchestrated event and that he was the
intended target. When he’s caught in the crosshairs of a sinister nemesis, his
guardian angel comes to his rescue – only to find there’s a huge price to pay
for falling in love with a human.
9. What advice do you have for new and aspiring authors?
Four things: study the craft of writing fiction, join a
critique group, be patient, and never give up.
10. What is
next on your writerly horizon?
I’ve got two
works in progress at the moment. One is False
Light, the sequel to Sunrise. The
other is a standalone work entitled, The
Promise Keeper. I should probably pick one to focus on, but I’m really
drawn to both stories.
Top 5
favorite (pick one) desserts, movies, things to eat, ice cream flavors, books.
Hard to
narrow my top 5 movies, but here they are in no particular order: We Are
Marshall, Meet Joe Black, Legends of the Fall, The Game, and The Legend of
Bagger Vance.
Blurb:
When the
shadows come and your world goes dark, can you hang on until sunrise – or will
you give in to the darkness? After a
tragic shooting shatters Parker’s world, the darkness comes for
him. His guardian angel, Marie, fights to save his soul, but will her love be enough to save him?
him. His guardian angel, Marie, fights to save his soul, but will her love be enough to save him?
Excerpt:
She looked
at the branches overhead and squinted as a silver raindrop fell into her eye.
She wiped it away with the back of her hand as the precipitation intensified. The
ground under her feet grew wetter, the wind more menacing as it whipped through
the treetops. Bluish-white streaks of lightning shot across the dark sky like
sinewy fingers, followed by a distant rumble of thunder.
"You
really shouldn't appear so much. It's not safe. Uriel and Markus wouldn't
approve."
"Uriel
and Markus? You mean you and everyone else. Contrary to rumors, I don't appear
human as often as you think," she shot back. "Besides, I can handle
Markus."
"Oh,
that's right. I keep forgetting you're his favorite."
She cast him
a sideways glance, lips slanting into a smirk. "Really, Jacob?"
He shrugged
his shoulders. "Hey, I'm just stating what everybody knows."
"Well,
he only favors the best, I guess."
He removed
his spectacles, took out a handkerchief, and wiped the lenses. "Very
funny."
Marie
grinned. "You're the one who started it. If you can't—"
The hair on
the back of her neck stood erect, and her face went slack. Something's wrong.
Jacob
quickly replaced his glasses, and they turned their attention back to the house
as the mood shifted to one of shared alarm. An uninvited presence crept toward
the backyard fence, watching and waiting like them.
Marie
scanned the fence for any movement, but didn't see anything. It was there,
though, and it wasn't alone. Her body tensed. "I feel two...no, three of
them. Do you?"
"Yes.
They're in the alley, behind the fence." Jacob closed his eyes for a
moment, lines of concentration creasing his forehead.
Marie
resumed searching for the intruders. What were they doing here? Why Parker's
house? They'd never shown any interest in him or his family before. A brilliant
flash of lightning, followed by a loud crack of thunder, illuminated the
backyard in an eerie light. Marie's eyes darted along the fence. Several silhouetted
figures lurked behind it.
Jacob opened
his eyes. "Seth is near," he said, his voice taut with alarm.
Cold sweat
broke out on Marie's forehead, and she wiped it away with a clammy hand. Of all
the names, that was the one no guardian wanted to hear. Ever. She swallowed and
tried to keep her voice from trembling. "Seth? Are you sure?"
Jacob didn't
answer, but stared at the backyard fence. He interlocked his fingers and
cracked his knuckles, his customary nervous habit. "When was your last
fight?"
Although her
preference was to avoid combat, confrontation always remained an option. Her
last altercation had been a violent affair, but she had resolved long ago to do
whatever it took to protect her charges, especially this one.
"Um,
about twenty years ago. In Argentina." The melee during Carnival had been
brutal. The colored lights of angel fire, agonizing screams, and the smell of
burning flesh came back to her. An icy ball formed in the pit of her stomach,
the landscape tilted and spun, and she placed an unsteady hand on the wet bark
of the tree next to her.
"You'll
be rusty if it's been that long. Remember, strike only when you have to and use
quick, controlled bursts over as short a distance as possible."
Jacob's tone
took on one of mock authority and bravado, but it wasn't convincing. Marie let
the lecture slide for the moment. Seth's close proximity had Jacob rattled.
Marie looked
back at the house. Parker and his family, asleep in their warm, cozy
beds...they had no idea of the danger around them.
She clutched
her chest, breathing becoming labored. "They're moving closer to the
house, aren't they?"
Jacob jerked
his head in an awkward nod. "Yeah." His eyes roamed the fence from
behind wire-rimmed glasses. His forehead glistened. Was it from the precipitation...or
fear?
A chill ran
through her body and an army of goose bumps formed on her arms. She crossed
them over her chest and cast a wary gaze toward the backyard fence.
"Something
wicked this way comes," she muttered.
Jacob locked
eyes with her and said, "C'mon. We have work to do."
They
disappeared into the darkness and crept toward the alley.
Buy links:
Buy Links
Ebook
Print Book
Author bio:
Scott works
in state government and is the author of several short stories and the recently
published young adult paranormal romance novel, Sunrise. He lives in the suburbs of Austin with his wife and two
precocious daughters - who enthusiastically assist him in his search for the
perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter.
Scott can be
contacted through his blog at https://abelstories.wordpress.com/
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